Partners
by Shae-Lynn1
Summary: MickAngela. When Angela's career is on the line, she needs her partner more than ever. NEW Chapter Two!
1. Chapter 1

_Welcome to one of the newest categories. I started this category in case anyone wanted to write some Da Vinci's Inquest fanfic. The story below is the beginning of a Mick/Angela story, although I started writing it in the middle of last season, so I'm aware that changes on the show have taken place since. Dueto the format of the show and the lag time on getting new categories, the story is a little out-of date. Hope you all enjoy. Please, constructive reviews only._

"You think she played me," Angela accused that day in the car. The way Mick avoided giving her a straight answer told her she was correct. All of the tensions of the week: finding out she was being investigated by internal affairs, losing Sue, they all paled in comparison to this betrayal. What was it they said at the Academy? Partners are like blood. They didn't mention this only applied after a certain time, or that it only applied to partners of the same gender. Maybe if she asked, Sergeant Kurtz would let her work alone again. She liked going solo, setting her own pace. She remembered how Mick talked about his old partner, Leo, like he cared, like they were family. She doubted he talked about her in the same way.

"Who? Oh right, Angela. She got played by her junkie whore informant," she could see him saying to…to who? Suki? She knew Suki liked him. Damn it, everybody liked him: Joe Tang, Sergeant Kurtz, Leo, Rose, even Sue…everybody. Oh yes, and she liked him. She kicked herself every day for liking him. One night they were riding together and they joked about it.

"You wouldn't be able to resist me," he had said when she offered to let him stay at her place. The problem was, he was right.

He didn't trust her about Sue. That stung.

"You think she played me," she said. He wouldn't say no. She set her jaw.

"Look, Ang. Maybe you need a few days off," Mick suggested later that week, when they were sitting at their desks in the afternoon.

"What are you saying?"

"Nothing. You've been working hard on this thing with Brian, on the Roy Cardinal case, on trying to find Sue…maybe you need a break."

"I'm fine, Mick. I can handle it," she asserted forcefully.

"Okay…"

"You don't believe me," she accused.

"I didn't say that. Why do you keep jumping down my throat?" Mick asked, frustrated. Angela sighed.

"Sorry," she said in a tone that indicated she definitely wasn't. Just then, Sergeant Kurtz appeared in the doorway of her office.

"Angela, could I see you for a moment?" Angela stood up and headed over.

"Sure." She stepped into the office and shut the door behind her. She noticed Mick watching her through the glass, concern written on his face, and she turned away quickly. "What's up?" Kurtz sat down again behind her desk and gestured to a chair across from her.

"Please, have a seat." At the serious look on the Sergeant's face, Angela felt nervousness ball up in her stomach. "I just had a talk with Joe Tang," Kurtz began.

"From Internal Affairs?" She felt certain she would lose her job then and there. Could they offer you early retirement if you were under forty? Maybe she wouldn't be so lucky: maybe she'd just be sacked. She had sudden visions of her hassling shoplifters at Pacific Centre or holding open doors at one of the banks on Dunbar.

"Yes. He was very interested in your informant, Sue," Kurtz raised an eyebrow. Angela paused.

"Is this serious?" She needed to know how far it had gone.

"Look, Angela, I'm going to be straight with you. You're one of my best detectives. I'll try to make sure you keep your badge, but you need to lie low for a little while. Don't keep looking for Sue."

"Do you know where she is?" Angela asked urgently. Kurtz avoided answering.

"Take some time off. I'll make sure this all blows over." She felt sorry for Angela, who looked very wound up. "Get some rest. Mick will be fine without you for a few days." Angela sighed and stood up.

"Okay." She opened the door and headed back to her desk, where she began to pack her things. Mick looked at her, puzzled.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm sorry. You were right. I need some time off," she answered.

"Everything go all right in there?" he asked.

"Yeah." She brushed him off. She pulled on her coat and turned to go to the door. "See you in a few days."

"I'll call if anything comes up," he called after her. She waved a hand in acknowledgement.

On her way home to her apartment, Angela made a U-turn and drove back the way she came. She needed a distraction. On the porch of her new house, she unlocked the door, which chipped white paint off the frame when it opened. She flicked on the light and sighed at the sight of the large, bare room. The emptiness fit her mood. After shutting the door behind her, she trudged up the stairs to what would eventually be her bedroom.

The white room was still sparse, although Angela had brought in a small set of wooden shelves from her apartment. It was so big and empty; she wondered how she could ever fill the space. The room had windows along one side of it, looking out across the lane to a row of houses similar to the one she was in. Looking out the window at them, she could make out shapes moving around inside. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. This had always been her dream; why did it now seem so hollow?

She tried to pull herself. After all, she had come here to get something done. She went over to the corner of the room, where she had set up her painting supplies and her portable radio. Her clothes were more suited to working than to painting, but she didn't really care. She turned the radio on to a rock and roll station, poured some bright blue paint into a roller tray, picked up a roller, and set to work.

She painted the entire room and moved out into the hallway, sometimes absentmindedly singing along to the radio n an attempt to fill the silence of the house. All of a sudden, the light flashed and went out.

"Damn!" she cursed over the loud music. There was still barely enough light from outside to see her way to the stairs, where she thought she had a box of new light bulbs. Box in hand, she groped her way through the dark back to her step-ladder. She took out the old bulb and had just replaced it, flooding the hall with light again, when she felt a hand on her back.

"Angela," said a voice. The surprise caused her to fall off the step-ladder, landing hard on her back. "Jesus, Ang. Didn't you hear me calling you?" It was only Mick, a concerned look on his face. "Are you okay?" he asked when she didn't get up immediately. She picked herself up and dusted herself off, ignoring the hand he extended to help her.

"Sorry, I guess the radio was too loud." She walked over to it and switched it off. She turned back to him, her hands on her hips. "How did you get in?" she demanded.

"I was just driving by. I saw someone moving around in here and didn't see your car, so I thought I'd check it out. Make sure it wasn't someone who shouldn't be here."

"I parked around back," she explained. She was touched by his concern and felt herself almost beginning to forgive him for earlier.

"Well, I knocked but the door was unlocked. I called but…" he trailed off.

"Okay. Thanks, Mick." She looked very tired and defeated in the almost harsh light. He felt helpless to do anything. As he looked into her dark eyes, he felt even more worried about her.

"If you're okay, I guess I'll be heading home," he said.

"Yeah, thanks."

"See you."

"See you."

She didn't ask why he had been driving by her house in the first place.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Partners

Author: Shae-Lynn

Rating: K

Pairing: Mick/Angela

Chapter: 2?

Summary: When Angela's career is on the line, she needs her partner more than ever.

Author's note: As I mentioned earlier, this story is somewhat out of date, occurring well before the advent of Da Vinci's City Hall. I tried to preserve elements of the episodes while also giving myself the freedom to rewrite history.

Thanks to everyone for your constructive reviews and have a very happy holiday season!

* * *

The drive seemed longer than usual. He couldn't stop thinking about Angela, the hostility in her voice, the pain in her eyes. He turned up the music until it pounded the car. He'd gone there to apologize to Angela and he'd backed down. He'd wanted to apologize for being a jerk, for being a bad partner. Now he was kicking himself for it. He was angry, at her and at himself. He didn't need this stress.

The music wasn't helping him forget, so he pulled out his phone.

"Hey," answered Suki brightly. He felt himself beginning to relax. A pause, then, "Where are you?" He turned down the music.

"I'm picking you up. Get your coat and meet me outside."

He pulled up to her walk-up and saw her standing in the orange glow of a streetlight. He cringed inwardly, seeing she had dressed up. She opened the passenger door and stepped in.

"Hey," he said, trying to sound excited, "You look nice." She beamed. She was so easy to please, Mick thought.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

* * *

On the boat he poured two glasses of wine, knowing he'd need it.

Suki sat on the cushioned bench and took off her coat, revealing a small sleeveless black cocktail dress that showed off her toned arms. Mick passed her a glass then downed his in one gulp. Suki raised an eyebrow and smiled. He poured another glass, willing himself to concentrate, passing his gaze over Suki's bright eyes, shining hair, and creamy skin, but he felt nothing. He sat next to her and began to pull her mouth towards his for a kiss.

"Wait," she said playfully, putting a hand to his chest. "Don't you want to talk first?" He barely paused.

"I don't want to talk," he said, covering her mouth with his, placing a hand on the small of her back to draw her closer. She pulled back, a look of confusion and hurt on her face.

"Mick, what's going on? You're acting strange. I don't feel like we're alone here."

"What do you mean? We're alone," he said, running a reassuring hand down her arm. "I want to be with you, Suki."

"No you don't," she whispered. "There's someone else." Mick lowered his eyes, confirming it fo her. "Who is it?" she asked, "Sunny?" He shook his head.

"No, that's over, Suk."

"Angela," she stated and his look of surprise affirmed her guess. An expression of pain lingered on her face momentarily, disappearing as she took a deep breath.

"It's okay, Mick. It would have been fun." She noticed how he couldn't meet her eyes, how his haggard face showed dejection. "Do you want to talk now?" Waiting for him to respond, she pulled on her coat and wrapped it around her.

"No," he shook his head, then looked up at her. "Thanks. But I've got some thinking to do." He stood up. "I'll take you home."

Back on his boat, that night, Mick drank the rest of the wine and fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

He woke up to his cell phone, head pounding. He looked at the caller ID: Kurtz. "Shit," he exclaimed, clearing his throat before answering. His tongue felt fuzzy and all his muscles had stiffened from sleeping on the cot where he had practically passed out the night before.

"Leary."

"Where are you? You were supposed to be here an hour ago for the division meeting." He looked at his watch, ten. He cringed.

"Oh," he replied, trying to feign surprise. "I was pursuing some leads and I must've got sidetracked."

"Well I need to talk to you. Where are you?" As usual, Kurtz's voice wasn't angry, but steely and calm.

"I just stopped for coffee on the Drive, so I'll be an hour," he lied, already pulling on his shoes and running a hand through his flattened hair, dreaming up leads he might've been pursuing that morning. He made it to HQ before eleven and as soon as he stepped in, Kurtz called him into her office.

"Sit down," she said, a frown etched on her face. "I need to talk with you." By the tone of her voice, he could tell the matter was serious. He sat in the grey chair across from Kurtz's massive desk. He leaned forward. "I asked you here because you're Angela's friend and her partner." Mick nodded, although he wasn't so sure of that. "They have proof that her informant, Sue, is guilty of the murder. They think Angela let her friendship with the informant get in the way of her objectivity."

"So what happens now? Will she be demoted? Suspended?" Mick asked, concerned.

"It's worse than that. Joe Tang says he has evidence she tampered with evidence that would incriminate Sue. Mick shook his head in disbelief. He could believe Angela had been attached to Sue, but she would never tamper with evidence.

"If she resigns, this could all go away. She could get a job somewhere else. Internal Affairs would drop it."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"She's a good cop. I need you to talk with her and ask her to resign. It's for her own good," Kurtz said gravely, as if she might not believe even herself.

"I can't do that. She didn't tamper with evidence. I know her. I won't ask her to give up her dreams, for what? To be a security guard at some bank?" He said, still stunned by Kurtz's request.

"I don't see what other choices we have," Kurtz said apologetically. Mick sighed, resting his head in his hands as resignation began to set in. Suddenly a thought occurred to him and he looked Kurtz in the eye.

"How long before this comes out?" He asked. She pulled out a police-issue case folder.

"I've asked Tang to let me review this evidence before we decide whether to lay charges. I can't stall longer than this week." Mick stood.

"Then we have a week to clear her." Kurtz looked grim.

"All right, but this has to be under the radar."

"I understand," Mick turned to leave. As he turned the doorknob, Kurtz said, "Detective, you're going to need this." She passed him the file folder.

"Thanks," he stated.

* * *

Hope to have more posted in the New Year!


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